Since the creation of the game of golf, there have been numerous improvements to the golf club. These inventions have focused on the various components of the golf club, such as the hosel or socket, which joins the shaft with the clubhead. In order to overcome the natural tendency of the head of the golf club to torque in reference to the longitudinal axis of the shaft on impact with a golf ball, much attention has been focused on the configuration of the hosel.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 1,250,296, issued to Stanton on Dec. 18, 1917, discloses a golf club having a curved shank that is integral with the head, with the junction of the loop and the head being substantially midway between the opposite ends of the lower edge of the head mainly below the longitudinal center of the head. The golf club taught by Stanton has the leading edge of the sole substantially forward of the forwardly facing surface of the shaft. However, it can be advantageous to have a club whose leading edge of the sole is in substantial alignment with the forwardly facing edge of the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,077,350, issued to Koorland on May 7, 1959, discloses a golf putter having a shaft that is configured so as to locate the hands of a golfer directly over the center of the golf ball when the forward face of the head is in contacting relationship with the ball. Thus, the forwardly facing surface of the shaft is located well forward of the leading edge of the sole.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,257, issued to Barr on Nov. 2, 1976, discloses a golf putter having a specially configured head. While the figures show a curved neck, the leading edge of the sole is well forward of the shaft and is not substantially aligned with the forwardly facing surface of the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,554, issued to Bernhardt on Aug. 7, 1979, also discloses a golf putter. Bernhardt's putter has an elongated shaft having upper and lower grip portions for putting "croquet style". It is noted that Bernhardt teaches a curved connecting neck portion at Col. 7. Bernhardt teaches that it is advantageous for the neck to be configured such that the longitudinal axis of the shaft will intersect the top surface of the clubhead at a point between the ball-striking surface and the rear surface and between the vertical axis and the outermost end of the clubhead. While this may be an advantageous configuration for a putter, those skilled in the art will recognize that if the neck of "short irons", i.e. the 7-9 irons and the various wedges, is configured in this manner, the leading edge of the sole will be positioned substantially forward of the forwardly facing surface of the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,135,621, issued to D. and K. Roberts on Apr. 13, 1915, teaches a golf club having a series of interchangeable heads so made and arranged that they can be attached to the shaft in either of two positions so that each head provides the equivalent of two clubs. In order to accomplish this, Roberts utilizes an extension which is provided upon a curved socket. Roberts teaches that the extension of the socket is angled to conform to the average angle of the striking faces of the several clubs. This extension is received in a dovetail groove on the rear face of the head formed by means of upper and lower lugs separated by a space. Per Roberts teachings, the front face of each head is not parallel with the rear face of the head, "so that by reversing the said heads relative to the extension c of the socket b the equivalent of two clubs can be obtained." Thus, a single shaft and socket can be combined with multiple interchangeable heads to provide different loft angles for the several irons. Roberts lacks a hosel that is adapted so as to maintain a coplanar relationship between the curved, or angled, portions of the middle member of the hosel and the longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft while simultaneously maintaining substantial alignment between the leading edge of the sole and the forwardly facing surface of the shaft, regardless of the loft angle of the head.
Other patents that the inventor is aware of are U.S. Pat. No. 2,784,969, issued to Brandon on Mar. 12, 1957; U.S. Pat. No. 2,973,581, issued to Rhodehamel on Mar. 7, 1961; U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,992, issued to McCallister on May 14, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,555, issued to Bailey on Jul. 28, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,705, issued to Scheie on Jul. 6, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,654, issued to Karsten Solheim on Jul. 13, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,733, issued to Szokola on Dec. 7, 1993; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,029, issued to Falzone on Aug. 16, 1994.
What is missing from the art is a hosel, having a compound curve disposed in the same plane as the longitudinal axis of the shaft and that is uniquely adapted such that, with the irons, it has its junction with the clubhead at the back approximately 0.625" inset from the heel, in the preferred embodiment, and midway between the top edge of the head and the sole and is configured such that, regardless of the pitch of the particular iron or wedge, the leading edge of the sole is substantially aligned with the forwardly facing surface of the shaft; and that, when utilized with a wood, such as a driver or a fairway wood, has its junction with the clubhead at the top of the clubhead and inset approximately 0.625" from the heel and that is configured such that, regardless of the pitch of the particular wood, the leading edge of the sole is substantially aligned with the forwardly facing surface of the shaft. My co-pending application, Ser. No. 08/667,612 filed Jun. 21, 1996, upon which a Notice of Allowance has been received, and which will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,672 on Feb. 24, 1998, addresses the deficiency in the art with respect to irons. One of the objects of the present invention is to address this deficiency with respect to woods, such as a driver or a fairway wood.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved golf club having a specifically configured and curved hosel that is configured such that the hosel has a compound curve disposed in the same plane as the longitudinal axis of the shaft and that is uniquely adapted such that, regardless of the pitch of the particular wood, the leading edge of the sole is aligned with the forwardly facing surface of the shaft.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved golf club, specifically, an improved wood such as a driver or a fairway wood, that includes a hosel having its junction with the clubhead at the top approximately 0.625" inset from the heel.
Other objects and advantages over the prior art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description together with the drawings as described as follows.